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Rigid Sliding Miter Saw Defect

12-04-2006, 05:24 PM

Attn. Ridgid Customer Support.

I am sorry to say that you have a very poor product on your hands, specifically the MS1290LZ AND MS1290LZ1 sliding compound miter saw. The problem with this saw is that the power head tracks to the right when traveling from the extreme forward position to the extreme rearward position. There is no adjustment or combination of adjustments that will resolve this problem.
Now, let me say that I am not basing this conclusion from the experience gained from one saw. I have owned my MS1290LZ for over a year and it has always done this, my uncle bought one about eleven months ago and his does it, a trim carpenter friend of mine has one and his does it, and I recently read that the new model MS1290LZ1 was an improved version of the MS1290LZ so I went to Home Depot today and bought one hoping that this problem would not be present in the new model, but surprise, same thing. I like every thing about this saw but it simply won’t cut straight, and a saw that won’t produce a straight cut is worthless, so it is going back to Home Depot first thing tomorrow to be exchanged for a Dewalt sliding miter saw.

I must also say that I typically love your tools. I own your 10" contractor table saw, 13" planer, 6" jointer, and several 18v cordless tools, and have had nothing but great results from them.
I am very disappointed with the poor quality and repeated defect present in the MS1290LZ and MS1290LZ1. I feel very cheated after spending over $550 on each saw, one that I can return for a refund and one that I have owned to long to return so I’m stuck with a $550 saw that will not produce a straight cut. Sure I could drive 50 miles to the nearest service center and wait a couple of weeks to maybe have them fix the problem and maybe not, but I would rather just get rid of it and never have to deal with this problem again, unless I can send you back your defective tool for a refund, but I doubt that you will do that.

May I suggest that you should pull this model from the stores and fix this side tracking problem so you don't ruin an otherwise great brand reputation with this poor excuse for a miter saw.

Are you saying there is no adjustment in the zero position? I hadn't looked at it but assumed all miter saws allowed fine tuning of the zero position.

I'm leaning toward the Makita. I like the direct drive, stiff, but smooth linear bearings and independent laser and flourescent light. Don't care for the short fence or the lack of detents in for the incline.

Comment

Yes it does have zero adjustments. You can square the fence to the blade on both the horizontal and vertical planes and it has an adjustment to take out any play present in the sliding mechanism. Trust me I am not new to proper saw set up and fine adjustment.
I do not just slap a combination square on the blade and call it good. I use a machined plate in place of the blade and a large machinist square and dial indicator to true my saws.
With the power head at the rear position I can get the arbor with in .003 in. of being perpendicular to the fence, and at the midpoint of its forward travel it is still perpendicular but it has shifted a bit to the left, at its maximum point of forward travel it has shifted a bit more however it is still perpendicular to the fence. That’s what kills me, it stays square to the fence, but when you begin your cut with the power head in the forward position and push it to the rear position to make the cut, it tracks to the right about 1/16 in.

If this was the only example of this model that I experienced this problem with I would chalk it up to an isolated defect, but it’s the fourth saw of this model that I have personally witnessed doing this. The most recent was the new model MS1290LZ1 that I purchased at home depot on 12-02-06 and brought back to home depot on 12-03-06 to exchange for the DeWalt DW-718. The DeWalt cuts perfectly, but I don’t like it as much as the Ridgid. The Ridgid is a much more user friendly saw except for the fact that it will not produce a straight cut.

Sounds like you are saying the blade isn't parallel to the rails which causes it to "pull." If that is the case, on page 17 of the manual. it says you can adjust the "gib" screws around the bearings to get alignment.

Comment

Sounds like you are saying the blade isn't parallel to the rails which causes it to "pull." If that is the case, on page 17 of the manual. it says you can adjust the "gib" screws around the bearings to get alignment.

If that isn't it I'm still not sure what thing you are talking about being out of adjustment.

The gib adjustment will not remove the side tracking. Of the two rails, the lower left rail rides in a set of fixed bearings, the upper right rail rides on 4 plastic pads aka gibs. There are two on the bottom and two on the top of the rail. You can adjust them up or down not side to side. If you try to use the gibs to force the rail to rock forward or back they will bind the rail preventing the saw from sliding. I thought the gib adjustments were the answer also, but with no luck.

I just bought the Makita LS1214FL. A bit more than I wanted to spend but it consistently scores in the top of the reviews. Would've gone with the 10" but the 12" has a nicer/higher fence. On Amazon there was a $50 off coupon, plus $100 dollars credit toward a future purchase, plus $30 rebate, plus free 18V Makita drill kit. That gets the saw down to $450 and should be able to sell the 18V kit on Ebay for $100.

Comment

The 10" makita doesn't include the taller fance but it can be ordered as a seperate upgrade. I was just bevel cutting some 12" wide boards today on mine and the cuts were coming off flawlessly straight all across the length and in every angle. I highly recommend this saw to anyone who's looking for an excellent slider.

Comment

The difference in price between the 10" and the 12" was $60 on Amazon. I recall Makita charging more than that for the "optional" higher fence on the 10" so I went for the 12." Also, the 12" comes with a larger table. I've read good things about both of them.

Comment

Sounds like the sliding assembly may have the wrong geometry. If the rear bracket, the saw head and the rails do not form a perfect rectangle, then the rear bracket could be parallel, the blade perpindicular, but the rails would be somewhat skewed. That would allow the blade to travel remaining perpindicular to the fence while the whole head assembly would track left as it came to the user. When facing the saw, I would say that the end of the right rail is ever so slightly farther away from you than the left slide rail. If the saw is jig assembled and the jig that holds the rail is off, then that would explain the problem, or, if the holes in the rear joining bracket are not bored/cast perpindicular , the same deal.

Comment

Well if anyone does know if this can be fixed. I just got the same saw a few weeks ago but haven't used it a whole lot yet (have to clean the garage better) I want to know so I have time to take it back it this is really a problem.

Comment

I have taken the saw to a service center and the prognosis is not great. The mechanic said that it appears to be a manufacturing flaw. Perhaps the geometry of the assembly gigs is bad, or perhaps there is a flaw in the casting of the end pieces that the rails are set in.
The only way to fix the problem in his opinion was if ridgid has new properly cast pieces.
He said not to lose hope because flaws like this are almost never present in 100% of a production run, and he feels that ridgid should be able to supply him with either properly cast parts or a new saw that is properly assembled.
We shall see!!!

I have taken the saw to a service center and the prognosis is not great. The mechanic said that it appears to be a manufacturing flaw. Perhaps the geometry of the assembly gigs is bad, or perhaps there is a flaw in the casting of the end pieces that the rails are set in.
The only way to fix the problem in his opinion was if ridgid has new properly cast pieces.
He said not to lose hope because flaws like this are almost never present in 100% of a production run, and he feels that ridgid should be able to supply him with either properly cast parts or a new saw that is properly assembled.
We shall see!!!

I just took a stab at a probable cause, was the SC able to measure the geometry and confirm or deny?